There are many known applications where it is desirable to stake or staple large mat or sheet materials to the ground, in order to improve growing conditions, or to control soil erosion, or the like. Some mat materials may incorporate seeds, fertilizers, or various forms of weed control to improve growing conditions. Mat or sheet material may be employed to control soil erosion. The mat or sheet material may be tailored to follow the uneven contour of the ground.
The insertion of stakes or staples through the mat or sheet material into the ground at suitably spaced intervals, serves to retain the material in place against the effects of wind, water and other elements. Manual insertion of stakes or staples is typically achieved with a hammer or driving tool. This requires the operator to stoop, kneel or crawl along the mat in order to position and drive each stake into the ground. This is tedious and time consuming, due to the expansive nature of the material to be secured, and the number of stakes or staples required to effectively secure the material to the ground.
The stakes or staples must penetrate the ground to a sufficient depth to ensure retention in a variety of soil conditions and against the forces of nature. This requires stakes or staples to be much longer in size, then staples typically employed to secure roofing material, or the like. Preferably, staples used to secure material to the ground are from four to 12 inches long. A much greater driving force is required to drive these staples through the material into the ground than is employed to drive conventional staples to secure roofing material, or the like.
Thus conventional staple apparatus, which employs the force generated by an operator's grip, hand or arm motion is insufficient to drive staples four to 12 inches long into the ground in a variety of soil conditions typically found where erosion control mats, or the like, are needed.
Accordingly, the present invention employs a force generated by the operator's foot, assisted by the operator's body weight, to drive the staples through the material and into the ground.